How Do You Manage US Fulfillment From Overseas?
Key Takeaways
Manifest helps growing ecommerce brands manage US fulfillment with account managers inside its San Marcos, Texas warehouse. For founders overseas, clear stock information and agreed approvals help keep orders moving when the brand and warehouse work in different time zones.
Which US 3PLs offer hands-on support for founders in Dubai or Bangkok?
Manifest is a strong choice for overseas ecommerce founders who want US fulfillment with an account manager inside the warehouse.
We handle DTC and retail orders from one warehouse in San Marcos, Texas. Your account manager can speak directly with the people handling your inventory when an order or packing issue needs attention. That access is useful when you run your brand from Dubai, Bangkok or another location overseas.
When your working hours differ from the warehouse’s, clear approvals help the team know who can make the next decision. An address question or packing change needs a named contact who can approve it while you are unavailable.
If you are still deciding whether to hold inventory in the US, our China-to-US fulfillment guide covers that transition. Once stock is there, the focus shifts to managing the relationship day to day.
What decisions should your team agree on before operating remotely?
Your team should agree who can approve order changes, extra costs and packing instructions while you are unavailable.
A packing question needs a named person who can approve the change. The same applies to an address change, a shipping upgrade or an order you want held. If every question waits for the founder to become available, work can stall even when the warehouse has the inventory.
The approval instructions should identify:
- The decision: what can change, such as an address, shipping service or packing instruction.
- The approver: who on your team can authorize it when you are unavailable.
- The spending limit: whether the warehouse needs approval before a change adds cost.
We build custom operating procedures around the warehouse work your brand needs. For packing requirements, that gives our team written instructions to follow while you manage the business from overseas. An instruction to add an insert, for example, needs to identify which orders receive it and when the change begins.
Keeping one current version of those instructions helps your team and the warehouse work from the same information when an offer changes.
How can you understand a warehouse problem from another country?
You can understand a warehouse problem remotely through the order details, packing records and an explanation from the team investigating it.
A useful update identifies where the problem occurred and what remains unresolved. A packing mistake needs a different response from an order that never reached the warehouse system.
Our account managers can talk with warehouse staff as they investigate an issue. We also use order-linked packing video to help investigate discrepancies, as described in Rabot’s Manifest case study. Together, the warehouse team and packing records help us explain what happened when you cannot inspect the order yourself.
Before signing with a provider, ask what records it can review and share when an order is questioned. Those records should help you understand what happened without visiting the warehouse yourself.
If repeated problems are the reason you are evaluating a new provider, our guide to switching your current 3PL covers the separate transition work.
How do you keep product and inventory records consistent?
Consistent product and inventory records use matching SKUs, product identifiers and packing instructions across your store, manufacturer and warehouse.
An order question gets harder to sort out when the store, manufacturer and warehouse use different names for the product. Your records should connect those names to the SKU and the identifier on the physical item. When several people on your team contact the warehouse, matching product records help everyone identify the same item and find the current instructions.
GS1 US distinguishes a GTIN from a SKU: a GTIN identifies a product across trading partners, while a SKU is an internal inventory code. Knowing which identifier each system uses helps you explain a discrepancy precisely.
We use ShipHero as our warehouse management system and connect with Shopify. A revised bundle, replacement item or packaging change needs matching information in the systems your team and warehouse use.
How do you keep a US 3PL ready for changes in your business?
You keep a US 3PL prepared by sharing upcoming promotions, product changes and retail orders before the warehouse needs to handle them.
The warehouse needs details on which products are involved, what packing changes and when you expect the work. That information allows the team to review stock, labor and any services that need a separate quote.
A different order mix can change fulfillment costs even when total order volume stays similar. More items per order or an added insert can change the work needed to pack each shipment. Our article on understanding and comparing 3PL quotes explains the cost categories to review.
Since we fulfill both DTC and retail orders, your account manager can discuss how a new sales channel changes the warehouse work. The earlier we see the requirements, the more time we have to review them with you.
Frequently asked questions
Can I visit Manifest’s warehouse before choosing a 3PL?
Manifest invites brands to tour its warehouse in San Marcos, Texas. A visit lets you see the operation you are evaluating for your US fulfillment. We can discuss availability with you and arrange a visit.
Can a US 3PL handle returns while the brand is overseas?
A US 3PL can receive and process returns for an overseas brand when that service is included in the agreement. Manifest supports returns, with instructions for checking returned products and deciding what can be restocked. Your team should also identify who controls customer refunds, so receiving a return and refunding the buyer are tracked separately.
How do you know how much inventory is available to sell?
Available inventory is stock ready for new sales, excluding units committed to orders, unavailable or still incoming. Shopify’s inventory-state definitions distinguish available units from the broader on-hand total. When you review stock remotely, the inventory state and location show which units in the warehouse are available to sell.
Can a US 3PL provide support outside US business hours?
Support outside US business hours depends on the provider’s agreement. Your contract should state the hours, the urgent contact and the procedure for issues that arrive after the team signs off. Warehouse-based account management alone does not establish 24/7 support.
Meet your US fulfillment team
Manifest gives your ecommerce brand a US fulfillment team with account managers inside the warehouse. Tell us where your team is based and how you sell to US customers. We’ll discuss how our San Marcos, Texas operation can support your DTC and retail orders.
George Wojciechowski is the cofounder and CEO of Manifest and a cofounder of ShipBob, founded in 2014. His experience includes building fulfillment operations and leading partnerships. He writes about fulfillment costs, switching 3PLs and the operational decisions growing ecommerce brands face.
